Too young to ride?

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

I just turned up on me bike... nothing they could do... then I left to join the navy

[Coyote]

I'm going through this with my 12 yr old already. He's ridden pillion on my bike and his mums.He is keen as a bean to get a bike when he's old enough to ride. We have talked to him about the pros and cons of motorcycling and he has started saving for his first bike which we will work with him and advise him on whats best to start out on. I will also be enroling him with a riding school. My wife learned to rid through one and she is now riding a 900 hornet. The bottom line is if your kids are keen to do somthing then you should work with them instead of against them.

Might be an idea to get a non-threatening 4 stroke dirt bike, such as an XR100 or if he's too big for that a CRF150 (air cooled, not the fire-breathing water cooled version that came out when I was too big for it). He'll be able to learn the basics on the dirt at slower speeds and no traffic. Only problems with that are cost (a crappy XR is still around 1000-1500) and finding a dirt paddock to ride (council doesn't like you using the riverbank as you'll tear it up, but they're fine for a police speedcamera to park itself on the side of the road, carving huge trails behind it). You could look up a local MX club cause they will generally have a paddock near the track.

I started riding when I was 13 (on a CRF150) which did help the transition onto the road. It was more about learning the road than learning to ride.

[Goblin]

An easy but simple way to get Ma on side is to do household chores every day without being asked. And for more than a week, too!

If that's too hard, then you can't want a bike that badly . . .

I agree with this little pearl! This is THE best way to get Mum on side. She'll be putty in your hands if you do this.

I got my bike licence at 15 then my car at 18. Mum couldn't really say no as my brothers and sisters all had bikes/scooters. We were like a teenage bikey/scooter gang...
My Grandparents paid for proffesional driving lessons for everyone but me. I had to learn the hard way. Cost me 10k.

[Blackbird]

In addition to all the good advice here, go the extra mile and research all the bike training schemes in your area (including defensive driving) and understand what they offer, then discuss them with your folks to show that you're taking the whole thing seriously. As Jantar said, riding a bike makes you a better driver overall and it's a good investment in your future. I wish all car drivers had ridden bikes first!

Best of luck!

[Dodgy1]

Might be an idea to get a non-threatening 4 stroke dirt bike, such as an XR100 or if he's too big for that a CRF150 (air cooled, not the fire-breathing water cooled version that came out when I was too big for it). He'll be able to learn the basics on the dirt at slower speeds and no traffic. Only problems with that are cost (a crappy XR is still around 1000-1500) and finding a dirt paddock to ride (council doesn't like you using the riverbank as you'll tear it up, but they're fine for a police speedcamera to park itself on the side of the road, carving huge trails behind it). You could look up a local MX club cause they will generally have a paddock near the track.

I started riding when I was 13 (on a CRF150) which did help the transition onto the road. It was more about learning the road than learning to ride.

He already rides the xr to get the cows in as we live on a dairy farm....I was thinking something like a cb250 honda quite sedate yet nible enough to go through the training course at the riding school....I went along to the wifes class once on the 1200 bandit and couldnt do half the stuff they were doin through traffic cones....funny...

[marioc]

Well I just didnt tell my mum ,dad is into classic bikes so no probs there

[Crisis management]

I bet most of you probably had this problem. How on earth did you convince your parents/family (especially your mother) that you were going to ride a motorbike??????

Lots of good advice already so try it all out.

My 5c worth:
Get yourself on a dirt bike, off road, as thats arqueably safer than on the road, it's relatively cheap, there's squillions of similarly minded teenagers to hang out with and you get to do all the stuff we aren't allowed to do on the road.

There are difficulties with that obviously; transport and distance to travel etc. Here are some of the solutions.......
Want some quality time with your parents?
Alternatively turn up at the local track (there will be a local track you live in NZ) and help out until someone takes pity on you.
Lurk around on KB and someone will offer to help out.

This may seem a bit left field if your wanting a fireblade but we all have to start somewhere and dirt riding will give you the skills you need while appearing as a safe option for your parents.

For the record, my son is 19 now and there is no way in hell I would let him start riding on the road at 16. (luckily he was happy to fall off the dirt bike until he discovered bikes weren't him)

Good luck, and work with your parents so everyone is happy-ish at the end.

[Grub]

Hey Kikazz, welcome to KB. I don't know about your 'rents, but I'm already impressed with you. You found us

It's not going to be an easy task, but circumstances may work for you because with school/work/uni/sports a guy needs transport. Bikes are convenient cost efficient transport.

I like the advice so far that said just tell them you're "... going to have to get a bike ..." and I like the other point about a bike rider being more road-savvy than a car driver.

If you can keep a straight face just add "... I don't want a car and end up as one of those boy racers mum ...". Oh and FFS don't talk about the Fireblade!!! Only talk about nice sensible, useful 150's and 250's.

Oh and BTW, she's right. You will fall off and hurt yourself, we all do - but you knew that anyway. Didn't you?

[PirateJafa]

My mother rode a bike back when she was my age.

Hell, now that I've got it, she is eager to have a ride again. :O

[Pwalo]

Sorry mate, but I don't think you'll ever be able to convince your parents. I don't know your circumstances, but if they don't like the thought of you being on a bike that's the way it is.

You are quite entitled to make your own decisions when you are an adult, and your parents will have to come to terms with that. I have two teenage sons and I can understand a bit of where your parents are coming from.

Funnily enough I was introduced to biking by my Dad. I needed transport when I was sixteen, and back in the good old days (hmmm), cars were too expensive and there weren't any Japanese imports. So I became a motorcyclist.

My mother is still a bit concerned about my riding a bike, and I've been doing it for almost 35 years!

Don't stress about it. Just keep plugging away at it, and see what happens.

[deanohit]

The only thing I can think of is you get a bike, give your dad a go and get him hooked. That way your mum will have to deal with him wanting a bike too and will have to give in then.
Now the best part. Now she has givin in, give her a go and when she sees how much fun it is, she'll be hooked as well.
Problem solved I hope.

[NotaGoth]

Dude's living with his parents, dude has to live by their rules, s'way it works innit.

Sure as hell will be for my kids, anyway.

Agreed. As my old lady says... "its my way or the highway."

She didn't want me to get a bike. She helped me with cars, I paid back every cent. But she wanted nothing to do with me buying a bike.

I worked my little butt off. Worked 7 days a week and she barely got to see me because of it. Got my first bike on my own. Though.. She did loan me gas money so I could get to Auckland to pick it up. So I guess she gave in a little at the end of it all.

The day she seen me playing around on it on our driveway, and the more she sees me out there tinkering with my RG the more supportive she has become about my decision.

I guess parents love to see the smile on their kids faces.

Start saving. Everything else will work out from there. Did for me.

[Dazza]

I just turned up on me bike... nothing they could do... then I left to join the navy

Similar situation here, I had an XT125 which I got my licence on, then left home joined the Army had a car for 12mths then turned up on my Ducati 900S2, not much they could say really. Even my Grandfather had to have a change of heart, hated MC (or so he'd say) but always was the first to tell anyone that his Grandson rode a Ducati/Moto Guzzi/Aprilia now a KTM. I'd have to agree that learning to ride before the drivey thing certainly makes you a more aware Cage driver !

[scracha]

I bet most of you probably had this problem. How on earth did you convince your parents/family (especially your mother) that you were going to ride a motorbike??????

I got my finger out my arse and got a job to buy my own motorcycle.

[avgas]

There was a brilliant article many moons ago about how you lie cheat and steal your way to getting and riding a bike.
It was by Groff i think, but dont quote me on that.
Said how you buy a bike (its example was TS185) by stealing money of of dads glovebox, mums purse, your sisters piggy bank etc, then u use the money to buy a cheap shitter, and you sneak it out of the house. but everyday you go home sit it up, take the wheel off and say that your still 'working on it' as a long term project to one day get it running.
I'll see if i can find it still as it was how i got riding.